tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36329172011-04-21T23:25:28.952ZTak for MadA 32 year old Englishman learns Danish, amongst other things.Richardnoreply@blogger.comBlogger421100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-88062560204532688562008-12-19T01:15:00.001Z2008-12-19T01:17:41.723ZA word on this whole "Hallelujah" nonsense. I was privileged to meet Jeff Buckley. By most other accounts, and certainly in my experience, he was at ease with people who liked his music, and wanted to share the music he liked with others. In the course of a five minute conversation with him, he recommended three bands he thought I might like, from the wildly obscure to the very popular. He Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-1140033945135471992006-02-15T19:05:00.000Z2006-02-15T20:09:29.130ZHaving noticed that I blog once every six months, and then only under duress, Tom has sent me another one of those meme things.Four thingsFour jobs I've had in my life:Library AssistantSachet PackerWood SanderMarketing Product ManagerThese are actually the only four jobs I have had, except that the last one has involved a number of nominal promotions. And indeed, a number of nominal promotions. Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-1127663886555056732005-09-25T15:58:00.000Z2005-09-26T13:05:22.276ZI said to K this morning that I still couldn't quite believe we'd won the Ashes. You didn't, she said, they're still playing in hell. I refrained from saying that that was exactly where we seemed to be playing Australia in the 1990s. Yesterday I put all of my newspaper clippings in a scrapbook with, to borrow from Gideon Haigh, all the concentration of a small boy over a complicated jigsaw. It Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-1124826579369860652005-08-23T19:49:00.000Z2005-08-23T19:49:39.373ZPrebends Bridge, Durham. August 2005. (Courtesy H.J. Thomas) Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-1124826392264922672005-08-23T19:46:00.000Z2005-08-23T19:46:32.266ZThe Happy Couple. Morpeth, August 2005 Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-1124826295843055192005-08-23T19:44:00.000Z2005-08-23T19:44:55.846ZHello Tom! Silver Street, Durham, August 2005 Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-1116709363059711462005-05-21T21:02:00.000Z2005-05-21T21:02:43.086ZKriegersvej, Aarhus. February 2005. Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-1116681973601436892005-05-21T13:26:00.000Z2005-05-21T13:26:13.606ZDurham in the Autumn, from Prebends Bridge. Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-1116679796885256552005-05-21T12:41:00.000Z2005-05-21T15:13:45.593ZA musical baton.Total volume of music files on my computer: 47GB.The last CD I bought was: D.I. Go Pop by Disco InfernoSong playing right now: The Elements by Tom LehrerFive songs I listen to a lot, or that mean a lot to me:1. A Year in Song: Mary Margaret O'Hara2. The Viaduct: Bill Wells and Katrina Mitchell3. MBV Arkestra: Primal Scream4. Temporary Like Achilles: Bob Dylan5. Blanket Roll Blues:Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-1089066468026713032004-07-05T22:21:00.000Z2006-01-07T23:28:19.726ZI'm back, o readers. I have always been a huge fan of Alistair Cooke, despite his rather dubious politics. The last ever Letter from America is online now at the BBC website, and rather bizarrely it's about comics. If the internet is a broadcast medium, then you could do worse than follow this example.Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-893746082003-02-19T16:16:00.000Z2004-03-02T16:30:24.700ZAbout a month ago I went on a pub crawl. It was a lot of fun.Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-877271822003-01-20T13:58:00.000Z2003-01-20T14:01:39.000ZQuoth Brian Potter: 'I want to speak to the organist, not the monkey grinder'. Tee hee!
I love Phoenix Nights. Nick and I saw the 'TV's Roy Walker' episode quite by chance and just fell in love with it instantly. I bought the DVD last week. My boss is particularly fond of: 'There's your problem- discarded fag.' 'I knew it, Bloody puff's burnt me club down.' The Radio Times is right, it should be Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-861680902002-12-17T15:07:00.000Z2002-12-17T15:07:21.820ZBlogger ate my last three posts, so I'm not going to write much. Just to say that if anyone is feeling particularly flush, I'd like an 10GB iPod for Christmas, please. Or a lovely Pure Evoke 1, which my mother is getting for christmas and with which I have fallen in love.
My xmas bonus this year will be going towards the purchase of an eMac- then I will be able to BLOG FROM HOME. Look on my Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-836572552002-10-28T11:59:00.000Z2002-10-28T11:59:56.453ZIt is the 28th October and I can go and buy The Little Friend! Happy Birthday Me!
I don't think my one man protest will have made much difference. At least the embargo-breaking seems to have been universal, so no-one will have gained extra market share- which means that breaking it has achieved very little. You could also question the wisdom of publishing a big novel at the end of October, when Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-835064292002-10-25T10:34:00.000Z2002-10-25T10:34:52.350ZI am halfway through Genome. This morning I find myself idly searching for popular science books on 4m4zon. Reader, it is an affliction. I am consumed by these puffed up popinjays and their simplified explanations of the challenging scientific issues of the day. A cure might be to read a novel, but I am refusing to buy The Little Friend in W4t3r5t0|\|35 because they have broken the 28th October Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-833548812002-10-22T15:30:00.000Z2002-10-28T12:03:05.000ZI had a superb rest in Dundee. Of course I didn't read any of the books I suggested I might, (apart from The Code Book, which I did indeed race through in one sitting on the way back) but I did gain many fantastic records from C____. Highlights include Why Me (Daniel Johnston Live in Berlin); an excellent Johnathan Richman album from 1985 (All through baseball he was loved and respected/Was thereRichardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-827336922002-10-09T10:40:00.000Z2002-10-09T12:30:30.000ZOn holiday in Scotland next week, to visit A____ in Edinburgh and C____ in Dundee (I like underscoring like that, it makes me feel like Thomas DeQuincey- or James Hogg, even). Long train journeys await, so I am whittling down my lists of books and records to take. Here are the options:
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Abridged version) by Edward 'do do do the funky' Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-825143172002-10-04T13:26:00.000Z2002-10-04T13:29:14.000ZWent to see Små Ulykker last night. I do love the Danish language, with its mad sounds and bizarre inflections. It's like German gargled through sponge.
It was pretty good all told- not as good as Festen but actually it's difficult to see the central conundrum working without Festen having been made. I can't really explain that fully without giving it away, but suffice to say, any doubt you Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-815479362002-09-13T10:43:00.000Z2002-09-13T10:43:45.306ZThe comic book periodic table. Now THIS is what the web is for. Click on the table to see a preposterous Stan Lee/ Stan Lee acolyte usage of any element. Note to self: Must try to post something vaguely serious at some stage in the future.Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-813603932002-09-09T16:12:00.000Z2002-09-09T16:14:04.000ZI will not be linking that ananova story I found on a man who found a Jaffa Cake that looked like David Beckham, oh no. Instead I will link Too Many DJs, which, thanks to an unfortunate ordering mixup, I now have 2 copies of. Tell me why you deserve it most and it's yours.
I have been enjoying it wholeheartedly- particularly Independent Woman/ Dreadlock Holiday and Cannonball/ I Wish. Now, if Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-810332082002-09-02T15:36:00.000Z2002-09-02T15:38:18.000ZArrrrgh! I was supposed to be linking this article via Aq. (again). I'm not that fond of Douglas Adams' novels but I larffed like a drane at this.
I know what I did wrong now. Pesky inverted commas.Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-810330852002-09-02T15:33:00.000Z2002-09-02T15:33:36.620ZI have returned from Denmark! I am very fat having eaten the European pastry surplus. I also went to Legoland which was absolutely brilliant. There was a model of Munich airport which I could have looked at for days. Yes we also went on all the rubbish rides and had to endure German moustaches but the miniland was definitely the best bit. Though we did play a computer game (Lego Friends) which Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-804783572002-08-20T15:39:00.000Z2002-08-20T15:39:30.016ZFollowing Johnny Rocket's sterling effort at a minidisc comp which has been on my stereo non-stop, here is my retaliatory strike: I'd get him to swap our places.Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-801323192002-08-12T10:28:00.000Z2002-08-12T10:30:11.000ZAhem. HTML cock-up part 1(Stay tuned for part two with free binder).
Now, what I meant to say was here's a Political Position Definer via Aquarius. But it obviously went a bit wrong, and now I can't edit it. I am a centrist by the way, because I gave random answers to some pretty vague questions. Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-801320112002-08-12T10:10:00.000Z2002-08-12T10:10:44.536ZVia the mighty Aquarius comes the Short Political Position Definer. I am a centrist, apparently- though the question are a bit vague, causing my answers to be too.
I have won an auction at ebay. It was a bargain as well- £4 for a video of The Limey, my fave Soderbergh film and, in the words of my boss, a corker.Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-798980242002-08-06T17:18:00.000Z2002-08-06T17:19:11.000ZEveryone with an interest in comics, or at least the state of the comics industry, should read Savant regularly. I was originally attracted to it for its undisguised zeal; over time this has understandably lessened, but there are some wonderful articles in the archives. Particularly if you have any antipathy to j0|-|n Byr|\|3.Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-797279832002-08-02T09:50:00.000Z2002-08-07T11:25:21.000ZPrevious post rendered irrelevant by pesky fellow bidder. Curses.
However, I am going to Aarhus in three weeks! I hope the Danish tourist board pay Seamus Heaney. I bet if you did a survey 90% of visitors to Denmark would prove to be English graduates, what with Heaney and a certain bard.
My Danish is still dreadful, however.
Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-796481492002-07-31T17:15:00.000Z2002-07-31T17:15:57.486ZI am bidding for a slice of my childhood on ebay (isn't this what everyone is doing on ebay?) in the shape of a large number of comics from the years 1983-5. I can still remember some of the stories including some lines verbatim. But, should I win, will they be a disappointment on re-reading (and I do want to read them, rather than sell them on at a profit), or will they, madeleine-like, take me Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-795889022002-07-30T10:05:00.000Z2002-07-30T10:05:25.090ZLet's hope he doesn't check his referrals, eh?Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-795539172002-07-29T16:38:00.000Z2002-07-29T16:38:54.430ZI should perhaps explain that stamp steaming comment lest anyone get the wrong end of the stick. Daj is fond of writing short messages in the stamp boxes of postcards, which are then covered by the stamp before the card is sent. The most memorable of the messages, and one entirely indicative of his fiendish mind, was "Why have you steamed off the stamp?".
Daj was also until recently involved in Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-795468862002-07-29T13:20:00.000Z2002-07-29T13:20:42.483ZThis appears to be the homepage of my 9r4t3 fR3|\|d Daj Lit, games inventor, stamp steamer and worrier of chemicals. Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-794424102002-07-26T16:28:00.000Z2002-07-26T16:28:41.166ZThe Truth Is Up There: What a fab idea for a game! Not that I'm any good at it.Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-793879552002-07-25T11:09:00.000Z2002-07-29T16:41:33.000ZI went, I walked, I bought the flag. The eighteen miles of the final day of the Vierdaagse was less of a struggle than I thought, though my Aunt and Uncle, who had walked the previous four days, were rather more tired. I am planning to do all four days next year with min Laererinde- 40km per day for four days.
The time of 55km days is long gone- my grandfather walked this masochist's version the Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-793430032002-07-24T11:56:00.000Z2002-07-24T11:56:27.776ZI return triumphant! Well quite rested anyway. I shall recount the tales of my Dutch sojourn when I have the time. But for the moment, hop on over to kryogenix where Aquarius reports THE FUNNIEST EMAIL EXCHANGE IN THE WORLD EVER, starring myself and Johnny Rocket!Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-790584912002-07-17T10:12:00.000Z2002-07-26T09:08:01.000ZOff to Holland tomorrow, so no more from me for a while. In the meantime, enjoy the new stuff on the UK site for A Series of Unfortunate Events and buy book the sixth!Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-790249912002-07-16T17:04:00.000Z2002-07-16T17:04:39.410ZR, a schoolfriend, has just emailed me to say that he has just qualified as a vet. Given that he was told at aged 15 by some cretinous teacher that he would never be one, I think that represents a pretty sterling effort. I remember how disappointed he was at the time; most of the rest of us hasn't a clue what we wanted to do when we left school but R had known since he was about 9. He is Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-790238422002-07-16T16:35:00.000Z2002-07-26T09:07:03.000ZThe Bookseller Buyers' Guide is in, and the front cover is taken up with one of the most eagerly awaited novels of recent years, Donna Tartt's The Little Friend. I am looking forward to it, but I do have a tiny sense of trepidation- The Secret History was a long time ago, after all, and I was much younger (and dare I say less well-read) than I am now. . . Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-790117182002-07-16T08:57:00.000Z2002-07-26T10:32:06.000ZJacob the Frog contains some rather lovely and typically impenetrable cartoons by my long-suffering ex-housemate JML. The site is named after a frog bought for her by my mother (don't ask).Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-789796462002-07-15T17:10:00.000Z2002-07-26T10:31:48.000ZAfter an extremely stressful weekend driving around London with min Laererinde, I am faced with a mountain of work which obscures another mountain of work just behind it. I get extremely tetchy and ring my boss, who is very patient with me, but I still feel aggrieved.
Danish learnt on drive round London: negligable. The tape is useless without the coursebook. All we hear is a man reciting those Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-788651012002-07-12T15:05:00.000Z2002-07-15T17:11:20.000ZIt's not what you're like, it's what you like.Except of course that's complete nonsense. But in the spirit of contrariness, and testing my dubious half-remembered HTML skills, here is my amazon wish list.Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-788631352002-07-12T14:11:00.000Z2002-07-12T14:13:47.000Z. . . but I am learning. So far I can say:
1. the words for Sister, Brother, Mother, Father and all composites (eg. Moster)
2. kys og knus
3. hej hej!
So if I want to send hugs and kisses to your Aunt as I'm leaving, I'll be OK. Anything else and I'm stuck.
Danish is a fiendishly difficult language to learn. The first page of my coursebook includes a paragraph beginning with the daunting sentenceRichardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632917.post-788621822002-07-12T13:42:00.000Z2002-07-12T14:14:02.000ZNote to all Danes: I am not Danish. I do not speak Danish, or at least not yet.Richardnoreply@blogger.com